Why tattoos can cause health risk

TATTOOS release microscopic pigment particles that pose a potential health risk, research has shown.

Researchers used X-rays to trace titanium dioxide nanoparticles in skin and lymph tissue taken from deceased people with tattoos.

Titanium dioxide – the most common ingredient in tattoo inks after carbon black – is also a white pigment used in food additives, sun screens and paints.

In tattoos it is often mixed with other pigments and has been associated with delayed healing, raised skin and also itching.

The scientists found evidence that the smallest titanium dioxide molecules accumulated in the lymph nodes, which are a vital part of the immune system.

Study author Dr Hiram Castillo, from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France, said: “When someone wants to get a tattoo, they are often very careful in choosing a parlour where they use sterile needles that haven’t been used previously.

“No one checks the chemical composition of the colours, but our study shows that maybe they should.”